Hitters who loathe to strike out

While strikeouts are rising in the majors, some players have bucked the trend

Frank Robinson went by the nickname "Pencils" during his playing career because of his skinny legs, but that might have been his only flaw. Robinson's résumé includes 586 home runs, a Triple Crown, a Rookie of the Year award, Most Valuable Player honors in both leagues and trailblazer status as the first African-American manager in baseball history.

The biggest blot on Robinson's record came with Cincinnati in 1965, when he struck out 100 times for the first and only time in his ...